The Real News Podcast Midwives Under Attack: Justice for Ric & Neusa Jones | Ep 29 Stories of Resistance
May 5, 2025
06:31
Ricardo and Neusa Jones are from the Southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. Birth is their calling. But not just any birth. Home birth. Natural birth. Humanized birth. Ricardo Jones is an obstetrician. His wife, Neusa, is an obstetrics nurse. But they embrace the ancestral knowledge of midwives.
But for their work, Ric and Neusa Jones are under attack. On March 27, 2025, Ric Jones was convicted of first-degree murder, 15 years after one of the thousands of babies he delivered died of congenital pneumonia in the hospital 24 hours shortly after the child was born at home.
Ric Jones received a sentence of 14 years in prison. His wife, 11 years. Ric Jones spent three weeks in prison. He is now out while they await the decision over the appeal.
But a movement has grown in their defense. Parents, midwives, doulas, and birth activists are standing up. They’ve denounced the case against them. They’ve denounced Ric Jones’s imprisonment. They are demanding justice for Ric and Neusa Jones.
This is episode 29 of Stories of Resistance — a podcast co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Independent investigative journalism, supported by Global Exchange's Human Rights in Action program. Each week, we’ll bring you stories of resistance like this. Inspiration for dark times.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review. You can also follow Michael’s reporting and support at www.patreon.com/mfox.
Written and produced by Michael Fox.
Resources:
Each country has its own rules, laws and legislation regarding home birth, natural birth, and humanized birth. Most of this episode is focused on Brazil, where caesarean section rates are some of the highest in the world, and natural-birth and home-birth midwives, obstetricians, and doulas say they have felt clear marginalization and abuse by mainstream health professionals.
In the United States, home births are actually on the rise, with more midwives and doulas being certified, but as more and more states move to legalize homebirth, it's also created a legal grey area.
Overall, women and men carrying out these home and natural births in many countries say they feel targeted for their work.
Below is a small list of lawsuits against natural birth midwives in numerous countries. They say this is part of a movement to end humanized and home birth. In many of these cases, midwives were accused or convicted of manslaughter. Ric Jones was convicted of murder, intentionally killing the baby.
Canada (2025): Midwife Gloria Lemay charged with manslaughter.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gloria-lemay-charged-manslaughter-1.7425173
Austria (2025): Midwife Margerete Wana, convicted of causing the death of the baby. Supported by the baby's mother: https://www.instagram.com/thea.maillard/p/DGNHrG8sjSo/
https://www.theamaillard.com/post/charlotte
UK (2025): Manslaughter charges after home birth: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/13/coffs-harbour-midwives-court-home-birth-death-baby-ntwnfb
Australia (2019): Lisa Barrett, charged with manslaughter. Found not guilty: https://www.9news.com.au/national/south-australian-midwife-found-not-guilty-of-manslaughter/1474102c-ccfc-4617-9f60-5be32d881b7a
United States (2019): Elizabeth Catlin, arrested in 2019 and indicted on 95 felony accounts, including criminal homicide: https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/04/arrest-the-midwife-documentary-film-review-laws-mennonite-new-york/
Germany (2014): Midwife Anna Rockel-Loenhoff Sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for manslaughter: https://frauenfilmfest.com/en/event/hoerkino-tod-eines-neugeborenen-eine-hebamme-vor-gericht/
Hungary (2012): Conviction of midwife Agnes Gereb. Jailed, placed under house arrest and then granted clemency: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/agnes-gereb-persecuted-midwifery
United States (2017): Vickie Sorensen, charged with manslaughter. Sentenced to prison: https://apnews.com/general-news-7928ca64d42c4e67aae2c382609d296f
United States (2011): Karen Carr, charged with manslaughter: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/midwife-karen-carr-pleads-guilty-felonies-babys-death/story?id=13583237
Here is a link to an article in English about the case against Ric Jones in Brazil, and how it fits into the larger international framework: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/midwifes-14-year-sentence-highlights-attacks-womens-autonomy-global-surge-unnecessary-c
Here is the link for the Instagram group in Brazil created in defense of Ric and Neusa Jones: https://www.instagram.com/freericjones/
Here is a statement from the International Confederation of Midwives calling for an end to the criminalization of midwifery, from a decade ago: https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/statement-on-stopping-the-criminalisation-of-midwifery
An incredible resource from Ms. Magazine about midwives, midwifery in the United States, and a new documentary about a criminalized midwife and Mennonite women who supported her: https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/04/arrest-the-midwife-documentary-film-review-laws-mennonite-new-york/
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But for their work, Ric and Neusa Jones are under attack. On March 27, 2025, Ric Jones was convicted of first-degree murder, 15 years after one of the thousands of babies he delivered died of congenital pneumonia in the hospital 24 hours shortly after the child was born at home.
Ric Jones received a sentence of 14 years in prison. His wife, 11 years. Ric Jones spent three weeks in prison. He is now out while they await the decision over the appeal.
But a movement has grown in their defense. Parents, midwives, doulas, and birth activists are standing up. They’ve denounced the case against them. They’ve denounced Ric Jones’s imprisonment. They are demanding justice for Ric and Neusa Jones.
This is episode 29 of Stories of Resistance — a podcast co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Independent investigative journalism, supported by Global Exchange's Human Rights in Action program. Each week, we’ll bring you stories of resistance like this. Inspiration for dark times.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review. You can also follow Michael’s reporting and support at www.patreon.com/mfox.
Written and produced by Michael Fox.
Resources:
Each country has its own rules, laws and legislation regarding home birth, natural birth, and humanized birth. Most of this episode is focused on Brazil, where caesarean section rates are some of the highest in the world, and natural-birth and home-birth midwives, obstetricians, and doulas say they have felt clear marginalization and abuse by mainstream health professionals.
In the United States, home births are actually on the rise, with more midwives and doulas being certified, but as more and more states move to legalize homebirth, it's also created a legal grey area.
Overall, women and men carrying out these home and natural births in many countries say they feel targeted for their work.
Below is a small list of lawsuits against natural birth midwives in numerous countries. They say this is part of a movement to end humanized and home birth. In many of these cases, midwives were accused or convicted of manslaughter. Ric Jones was convicted of murder, intentionally killing the baby.
Canada (2025): Midwife Gloria Lemay charged with manslaughter.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gloria-lemay-charged-manslaughter-1.7425173
Austria (2025): Midwife Margerete Wana, convicted of causing the death of the baby. Supported by the baby's mother: https://www.instagram.com/thea.maillard/p/DGNHrG8sjSo/
https://www.theamaillard.com/post/charlotte
UK (2025): Manslaughter charges after home birth: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/13/coffs-harbour-midwives-court-home-birth-death-baby-ntwnfb
Australia (2019): Lisa Barrett, charged with manslaughter. Found not guilty: https://www.9news.com.au/national/south-australian-midwife-found-not-guilty-of-manslaughter/1474102c-ccfc-4617-9f60-5be32d881b7a
United States (2019): Elizabeth Catlin, arrested in 2019 and indicted on 95 felony accounts, including criminal homicide: https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/04/arrest-the-midwife-documentary-film-review-laws-mennonite-new-york/
Germany (2014): Midwife Anna Rockel-Loenhoff Sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for manslaughter: https://frauenfilmfest.com/en/event/hoerkino-tod-eines-neugeborenen-eine-hebamme-vor-gericht/
Hungary (2012): Conviction of midwife Agnes Gereb. Jailed, placed under house arrest and then granted clemency: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/agnes-gereb-persecuted-midwifery
United States (2017): Vickie Sorensen, charged with manslaughter. Sentenced to prison: https://apnews.com/general-news-7928ca64d42c4e67aae2c382609d296f
United States (2011): Karen Carr, charged with manslaughter: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/midwife-karen-carr-pleads-guilty-felonies-babys-death/story?id=13583237
Here is a link to an article in English about the case against Ric Jones in Brazil, and how it fits into the larger international framework: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/midwifes-14-year-sentence-highlights-attacks-womens-autonomy-global-surge-unnecessary-c
Here is the link for the Instagram group in Brazil created in defense of Ric and Neusa Jones: https://www.instagram.com/freericjones/
Here is a statement from the International Confederation of Midwives calling for an end to the criminalization of midwifery, from a decade ago: https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/statement-on-stopping-the-criminalisation-of-midwifery
An incredible resource from Ms. Magazine about midwives, midwifery in the United States, and a new documentary about a criminalized midwife and Mennonite women who supported her: https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/04/arrest-the-midwife-documentary-film-review-laws-mennonite-new-york/
Subscribe to Stories of Resistance podcast here
Become a member and join the Stories of Resistance Supporters Club today!
Sign up for our newsletter
Follow us on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Donate to support this podcast
Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.
Follow us on:
Bluesky: @therealnews.com
Facebook: The Real News Network
Twitter: @TheRealNews
YouTube: @therealnews
Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork
Become a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!